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anyone remember

always trying

Veteran

Does anyone remember when the day after Christmas was the great exchange, and or returns, day? Big lines at the department stores. also there were the after Christmas sales. My sister and I would have so much fun grabbing up stuff and waiting in line for try on rooms.

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24 replies

Latest reply was from Bijou

rachylou

Veteran

This was not something in my family. The day after we’d take a drive. BUT I learned about this from a boyfriend. Day after, his family would jump in the car and go exchange all the gifts they’d gotten each other. What I didn’t get about this was, they all got each other *like* gift cards to Olive Garden and Red Lobster and they’d exchange them for Outback and Applebee’s... and vice versa. I was just like *what?!!*

Liesbeth

Veteran

Lol. I suppose it's an American thing. I worked in a bookstore years ago and the days after christmas there were some exchanges but not many, and a couple of people in a hurry to use their gift certificates. Those days were notoriously quiet. Right before the sales.

slim cat

Veteran

I'm familiar with "a day after Christmas" - very challenging for SA and all the not so happy customers who found out that the gifts were not cash returnable, not as expensive as they imagined, not immediately available in different sizes or not returnable at all!
Hopefully this year it will be different ( one can hope...).

VintageDawn

Yes! It was generally a 'girls day out' for our family and a lot of fun. Now that I'm a mom, I can really appreciate how my mom, aunts, grandmothers etc. must have really had a sense of relief at having all the holiday work behind them

Runcarla

Veteran

Gah! No! That kind of craziness was never my thing, so won’t miss it this year.

@ Liesbeth - I worked at an indi bookstore in my early 20’s!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YES. I remember Boxing Day in 1996 when we visited the US and tried to shop. CHAOS!

Sal

Veteran

Boxing Day sales weren’t a thing here until maybe the late 90s. January sales were a thing though! I remember being surprised at the Boxing Day sale craziness in England in 1993.

I rarely shop in the sales after Christmas. On occasions I will pop into shops I can walk to if I am home. We have a small mall 15 minutes walk away so that is not a stressful option!!

anchie

Veteran

Not a thing here. Day after Christmas is still holiday here and shops are actually closed.

rachylou

Veteran

In the US we think Boxing Day is Boxing Day, because that’s when you box everything back up to return it... haha!

Gigi

Veteran

I think my mom purposely avoided returning things on the day after Christmas for this reason! I do remember Mom taking us a few days after Christmas, though, and we had to wait in the returns line for an eternity. I remember one year they even had a special separate kiosk set up for returns at Target. Funny what you remember.

nuancedream

Veteran

Post-Christmas sales? No way would I subject myself to that lunacy! Maybe in a local neighborhood shop but never in a large department store or mall. My Christmas is pretty subdued and I use that time to rest and reset for the upcoming year.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

I remember the chaos and mess. Americans love to consume and return. We stayed home or went to the movies

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

RL, LOL! I think Boxing Day has different origins than the sales or returnomania, am surprised to hear that label being used for them.

kkards

Veteran

When i worked for the Gap back in the mid 80s, we called these days “Save a Sale”...with a goal of trying to get the zillions of people coming in with returns to buy something (or many things) that were now on sale. One of the things that surprised me working in retail was the number of people who waited to the last minute to buy a gift, and then, because sizes and/or colors were limited, knowing bought things they knew would be returned.

Joy

Veteran

I used to brave those day after Christmas crowds for the big sales on anything Christmas and stock up on cards, gift wrap, decorations, etc.
For many years I was a year round worker in the toy department of a county “Christmas Store” for the needy. One family member could “shop” for free. Penny’s Outlet store used to have huge sales the day after Christmas. It was crazy but worth it to find great toys for about 75% off.
Later all that stopped when people would let their kids loose in the toy area and they would rip open boxes and break things. The store just stopped carrying any toys at all. People really took advantage of the return policy too. I had to check out at customer service with the huge return lines. Once I saw a everything being returned after it had obviously been worn from a wedding...wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, grooms and groomsmen outfits, what the flower girl wore, ring bearers outfit, attendees outfits...everything including shoes.
. ToysRUs closed for the same reason, kids being allowed to play with toys. So sad. They had put up signs about unattended children, but it did not help.

Anonymous

Ug- not for me! I try to steer clear of stores as much as possible between Thanksgiving and New Years!

Cee

Veteran

The only place I'll venture in the next week or so is the supermarket !

Roberta

Veteran

When we were young and broke, I used to race out to Crate and Barrel so I could buy their Christmas ornaments half price. And sometimes their chocolate covered pretzels! I remember there were lots of people returning things, but I guess I really liked all of my gifts! In retrospect, the hubs was a very thoughtful gift giver.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Not exactly the same, but I remember the day of Christmas wandering around the streets of Manhattan looking for the right matinee !

cindysmith

Veteran

I found myself having to fly from Atlanta GA to DFW totally last minute on Christmas day back in the 90s. The morning after Christmas, I went to Dillard's to buy some makeup and an outfit to wear and when I went to get on the escalator to go downstairs, I witnessed a scene from a nightmare: mobs of women, all trying to get their hands on the same things. I was scared, but I had to brave the madness because I NEEDED something to wear. I swore I would never do that again, and thus far I have kept my word.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Cindy, that sounds like Black Friday, but I wouldn’t really know because I’ve never done either. We used to fly on Christmas Day—woke up at our house to see what Santa had brought, then flew to Gma & Gpa’s to meet the cousins. Good times!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Here in NZ the Boxing Day sales are still a big thing, still bigger than Black Friday which is a more recent US import
( obviously we don’t celebrate a Thanksgiving which is related to US history, but surprise surprise we have imported the shopping part!)
We have tried not to go due to a difficult experience some years ago trying to buy a “penny board” ( type of skateboard) for our son and DH having to park illegally on a grass verge due to the nightmare traffic. Luckily not ticketed. However yesterday we braved it for the first time in years and it was not as bad, perhaps to do with more online shopping these days? And have ended up with a heavily discounted pair of running shoes so it worked out.
The parking was do-able this year.

maroon5

Member

Well, the day after Xmas was a holiday. Didn't notice these lines

Bijou

Veteran

Boxing Day shopping is relatively recent where I live, as previously our shops stayed closed on public holidays. I find it a bit sad really that people don't take the break and have not ventured out to the sales myself as I hate shopping in a crowded environment. I am happy to have a relaxing day at home where my son enjoys playing with the gifts received on Christmas Day - alas these seem to be video games now he is older!